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Former Resolution for the removal of the Inhabitants of Norfolk and Princess Anne Counties, with their stocks and other effects, excepting as to such persons as are inimical to the cause of America, rescinded

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Tuesday, May 28, 1776.

A Petition of the Inspectors at Cabin Point was presented

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to the Convention, and read; setting forth, that, agreeably to a Resolution of a former Convention, they sold the tobacco which had remained in their warehouses for one year and upwards, but there still remains a considerable quantity of tobacco, for which they have given receipts; that the warehouses are not in proper order for the safe-keeping thereof; and that, as they have complied with the law as far as lay in their power, they do not look upon themselves as answerable for any accidents that may happen to the said tobacco; and praying the Convention will give such directions concerning the same as they shall think proper.

Ordered, That the said Petition be referred to the Committee of Propositions and Grievances; and they are to report the same, with their opinion thereupon, to the Convention.

The President, from the Committee of Safety, laid before the Convention, according to order, a list of the armed Vessels now fitting out for the defence of this Colony.

Ordered, That the same be referred to the Committee on the state of the Colony.

Ordered, That Charles, a Negro man slave, belonging to Robert Brent, and Kitt, a Negro man slave, the property of George Brent, and condemned by the judgment of Stafford County Court for felony, and also four Negro slaves belonging to Thomas Paramore and John Bowdoin, condemned by the judgment of the County Court of Northampton for felony, be reprieved, and sent to the Lead-Mines in the County of Fincastle, to be employed in working the same on account of the publick.

A Petition of the Freeholders and Inhabitants of the County of Norfolk was presented to the Convention, and read; setting forth, that they have been informed a Resolution hath been passed by this Convention for the removal of the inhabitants of the said County, which Resolution, if carried into execution, will involve them in the greatest distress, as many of them have large families, and no places to retreat to; nor can they transport their provisions necessary to support them; nor have they money to buy them elsewhere; and that most of them had pitched their crops for the present year. That, by the burning of the Borough of Norfolk, the Court-House of the said County was destroyed, and the place where it stood in the power of the enemies of America, by which they were prevented from choosing Delegates to represent them in this Convention; that they humbly presume their situation and circumstances could not be properly represented by means of that unfortunate event; and praying that their case may again be taken into consideration and the Resolution aforesaid rescinded.

Ordered, That the said Petition be referred to the Committee on the state of the Colony.

The Convention then, according to the Order of the Day, resolved itself into a Committee on the state of the Colony, and, after some time spent therein, Mr&dot; President resumed the chair, and Mr&dot; Cary reported that the Committee had, according to order, had under their consideration the
Petition of the Freeholders and Inhabitants of the County of Norfolk, and that it appearing to them in full proof that Lord Dunmore and his whole fleet had removed from Norfolk, they had come to the following Resolution thereupon; which he read in his place, and afterwards delivered in at the Clerk' s table, where the same was again twice read, and agreed to:

Resolved, That the former Resolution of Convention for the removal of the Inhabitants of Norfolk and Princess Anne Counties, with their stocks and other effects, excepting as to such persons as are inimical to the cause of America, be rescinded.

On a motion made, Resolved, That this Convention will to-morrow again resolve itself into a Committee to take into their further consideration the state of the Colony.

A Petition of John Smith was presented to the Convention, and read; setting forth, that he has been an inhabitant of the Borough of Norfolk from his birth, and for many years possessed lands and houses in the said Borough; but that, on the 6th of February last, when the town was set on fire the second time, he had the misfortune to lose his dwelling-house and out-houses thereto belonging, with some household furniture, and hath also lost two valuable slaves, who ran away from him, and entered into the service of Lord Dunmore; that he conceives his whole loss amounts to

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£1,500 at least, and that he is thereby reduced to a state of indigence and great distress, and praying that his case may be taken into consideration, and such compensation made him as shall be thought just and reasonable.

Ordered, That the said Petition be referred to the Committee of Propositions and Grievances; and they are to report the same, with their opinion thereupon, to the Convention.

Mr&dot; Cary, from the Committee of Privileges and Elections, reported that the Committee had proceeded to the examination of Joshua Hopkins, Peter Butt, and Henry Hambleton, who were apprehended on suspicion of their being inimical to the rights of America, and that it appeared to them, from the testimony of Captain William Davis, that about six or eight weeks before the said Joshua Hopkins was apprehended, the Commanding Officer at Kemp' s Landing was informed that the said Hopkins was then gone with provisions to Lord Dunmore, but that it was too late to detect him in the fact; that the officer desired his informer to watch for his going again; that the said Hopkins, in the mean time, made two applications to the witness for leave to go on board, under pretence of settling an account with Neil Jamieson, which was refused; that a short time after, information was given that the said Hopkins had gone down with provisions to Lord Dunmore, upon which a party was sent to lay in wait for him two nights and a day, and about two o' clock in the morning they detected him coming from the fleet with Simon Whitehurstand a negro; that the said Hopkins then confessed that he had been down to the fleet with his son, whom he had left there, in order to go into Lord Dunmore' s service. That it also appeared, from the testimony of Elizabeth Burnett, that her brother, the said Peter Butt, was bound, and is still an apprentice, to Roger Stewart, who is now on board the fleet which lately left Norfolk, and was taken coming on a visit to see his mother. That the said Henry Hambleton appears to have been an indented servant belonging to Captain Wilson, who is now with Lord Dunmore; and that the said Hambleton was taken in company with the said Peter Butt. And that they had come to the following Resolutions thereupon; which he read in his place, and afterwards delivered in at the Clerk' s table, where the same were again twice read, and agreed to:

Resolved, That the said Joshua Hopkins be sent to the County of Princess Anne, there to be tried by the Court of Commissioners.

Resolved, That the said Peter Butt be discharged, as well from confinement as his apprenticeship.

Resolved, That the said Henry Hambleton be discharged from confinement, and released from his indenture and servitude.

Mr&dot; Richard Lee, from the Committee of Publick Claims, reported that the Committee had, according to order, had under their consideration several Petitions to them referred, and had come to the following Resolutions thereupon; which he read in his place, and afterwards delivered in at the Clerk' s table, where the same were again twice read, and agreed to:

Resolved, That the Petition of Walter Crocket, William Herbert, William Russell, James Harwood, Anthony Bledsoe, and William Campbell, Captains in the late expedition against the Indians, praying a further allowance of pay for themselves and their subalterns, be rejected, they having been already allowed by the Commissioners what this Committee think reasonable.

Resolved, That the Petition of Evan Shelby, a Captain in the late expedition against the Indians, praying a further allowance of pay for himself and his officers, be rejected, they having been already allowed by the Commissioners what this Committee think reasonable.

Resolved, That the Petition of Henry Waterson, praying to be reimbursed for a horse which he purchased of the country, and died of worms a few days after, be rejected.

Resolved, That the Petition of John Stephens, a Lieutenant in the late expedition against the Indians, praying to be allowed pay for the time he was sick after he returned home from the expedition, be rejected, he having been already allowed full pay for the time he was in the country' s service.

Mr&dot; Richard Lee, from the Committee of Publick Claims, reported that the Committee had had under their consideration

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the Petition of Robert Lucas, praying to be allowed for a horse which died in the service of the country, and that it appeared to them that the Petitioner was applied to by the Captains Crockett and Knox for two wagons and teams to assist in marching their two companies of Regulars from Fincastle County to Williamsburgh, but that he refused to furnish them unless they were first appraised, which they promised to have done, but failed to do; that the said wagons and teams were employed for the purposes aforesaid, and one of the horses died in that service at Bedford Court-House in their way down; that the said horse has since been valued by two persons, upon oath, who well knew him, to £32, and that the Petitioner hath received satisfaction for the use of the said horse from the time he was entered into that service till he died; and that they had come to the following Resolution thereupon; which he read in his place, and afterwards delivered in at the Clerk' s table, where the same was again twice read, and ordered to lie on the table:

Resolved, That the said Petition is reasonable; that £2, the sum which the Petitioner has received for the use of the said horse, be deducted out of the valuation, and that he be allowed the balance, being £30, for the same.

A Petition of George Moffett was presented to the Convention, and read; setting forth, that he had the command of a Company in the late expedition against the Indians, and that, on applying for the money due upon that account, it appeared he was charged in the Commissioners' books with the sum of £9 for a horse belonging to William Champ, which was deducted from his pay; that he knows nothing of the horse he is thus charged with, but supposes it must be for some horse which was employed for the wounded soldiers, and which was delivered to Mr&dot; Sampson Matthews, who acted for the country; that Andrew Irwin, a soldier in his company, was allowed for thirty days only, when he had served forty-one, occasioned by a mistake in the
Petitioner, in giving in the roll; that he employed some of his soldiers as pack-horse drivers, who have received no satisfaction for their services from the publick, and that he has paid Edward Day, one of the persons so employed; and praying the Convention will take those several matters into consideration, and do what shall appear just and reasonable.

Ordered, That the said Petition be referred to the Committee of Publick Claims, and they are to report the same, with their opinion thereupon, to the Convention.

A Petition of Christopher Calvert was presented to the Convention, and read; setting forth, that he was lately an inhabitant of the Borough of Norfolk, and was possessed of several houses and other estate therein, which he lost when that town was destroyed, and that considerable quantities of plank and timber belonging to him were taken for the use of the Army; that, by these misfortunes, he is reduced to a very low estate, and praying such relief as shall be thought just and reasonable.

Ordered, That the said Petition be referred to the Committee of Propositions and Grievances, and they are to report the same, with their opinion thereupon, to the Convention.

Mr&dot; Randolph laid before the Convention an essay on the culture and management of Hemp, which was ordered to be referred to the Committee appointed to prepare and bring in an Ordinance to encourage Woollen, Linen, and other manufactures, and they are to report the same, with their opinion thereupon, to the Convention.

The Order of the Day, for the Convention to resolve itself into a Committee on the state of the Colony being read,

Ordered, That the same be put off till to-morrow.

Adjourned till to-morrow, ten o' clock.

In collections

Former Resolution for the removal of the Inhabitants of Norfolk and Princess Anne Counties, with their stocks and other effects, excepting as to such persons as are inimical to the cause of America, rescinded